Two-year Colleges Push For Associates’ Candidates

The Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges (AATYC) has launched a new statewide initiative hoping to connect students who have completed or nearly completed their associate’s degrees to gain their diplomas.

The AATYC program — Degree Matters — will seek approximately 6,000 Arkansans who have earned or almost earned their associate’s degree and don’t know it. The PSA campaign will be accompanied by a web site — www.DegreeMatters.org — in an effort to encourage higher education recognition in hopes of boosting pay opportunities.

“We have a list of nearly 6,000 Arkansans who have completed at least 75 percent of the associate’s degree requirements,” said Bill Stovall, executive director of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges. “The Degree Matters campaign hopes to locate them through direct mail, a PSA campaign and a web site. With their permission, we can review transcripts and likely award degrees to many who don’t even know they qualify.”

Stovall noted that those with an associate’s degree earn approximately $400,000 more in their lifetime than those with only a high school diploma.

For students or former students who have completed the required coursework, they will be awarded an associate’s degree, and those almost qualifying will be given information on the steps needed to complete the degree.

“Oftentimes our students transfer to a four-year university before completing their associate’s degree,” said Stovall. “We’ve discovered that for those who never graduate with a four-year degree, additional courses have made them eligible for an Associate’s degree. An associate’s degree opens doors to better careers and bigger paychecks, and is absolutely an advantage over some college and no degree.”

Arkansans who have been targeted meet the following criteria:

• Enrolled at any Arkansas associate’s degree granting public college or university between fall 1994 and fall 2013;
• Completed at least 15 general education transfer courses; and
• Did not complete a degree as of fall 2013.

Stovall said many who qualify have already been contacted by mail and are working with higher education officials to either be granted their degree or determine next steps.

Arkansans also have the option to search for their name on the Degree Matters website. If a matching name is found, submit an inquiry via the web site for further instructions.

Degree Matters is funded by a grant from the Kresge Foundation, and is a partnership between the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, the Arkansas Research Center and the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges.